Uncharted: Drake's Journal by Nolan North Overview

One thing that PlayStation users have always been blessed with is the sheer amount of exclusive games available for the platform. This was true in the 90’s with series like Final Fantasy and Resident Evil. With the PlayStation 2, Ratchet & Clank, Devil May Cry, SOCOM, and Grand Theft Auto were the titles that took the exclusive spotlight. The launch of the PlayStation 3 and high development costs of current generation titles pushed 3rd party game developers towards more even releases but thanks to Sony’s great first party developers like Naughty Dog, Guerrilla Games, Media Molecule, Santa Monica Game Studios and more, the PlayStation 3 is at the center of quite possibly the most diverse titles. Furthermore, the majority of first party titles from Sony have all scored a 90%+ score, bringing forth unique/compelling gaming with quality development. Some stand out exclusive titles include (though are not limited to):

Gran Turismo 5
Killzone 2 & 3
Ratchet & Clank
Resistance 1-3
LittleBigPlanet 1 & 2
God of War 3
inFamous 1 & 2
Warhawk
Metal Gear Solid 4
Uncharted 1-3

The last title mentioned should be a name that every gamer is familiar with, especially those on the PlayStation 3. Created by Naughty Dog, creators of Jak & Dexter on the PlayStation 2, Uncharted follows the adventures of Nathan Drake, a modern day Indiana Jones. One of the traits that has set the Uncharted franchise apart from other games out there has been the enduring characters and shorelines that the series follows. Naughty Dog wen’t against the traditional style that you find in games like Gear of War where the game designers pumped as much steroids as possible with the most ludicrous designed guns possible with a simple objective of kill. Instead, Uncharted dives into the world and the characters in a human way.

Long before fans were able to play Uncharted 1-3 for the full experience, Sony and Naughty Dog showed of a trailer that would capture the game industries attention. The first trailer, which introduced the world to Nathan Drake, and every trailer and game since then has raised the bar on what the PlayStation 3 can produce visually with the latest installment, adding 3D as well. If one thing has been true since the leap from the PS2 to the PS3, it’s been the visual quality of games, both during cut scenes and during gameplay. However, unlike the PS2 with relied on video cut scenes, usually created in a separate CGI engine, games like Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid and Killzone instead base all their visuals on the games engine. What many might not realize though is what it takes to put these scenes and worlds together and how the gaming industry has changed in order to provide these visuals. Unlike the transition from the PSone to PS2 which was simply a more power CPU/GPU switch, developers could then use better game engines, the PS3 has given developers a whole new way to create games.

And when thinking of new games with a lifelike world and characters, nothing fits the bill more than the Uncharted franchise. Instead of relying on traditional programming (which definitely happens throughout the entire game development), Naughty Dog decided to use motion capture, or mocap, as their technique to capture the game’s lead. This meant bringing in actors and having them act out the scenes at hand while wearing a suit that would be tracked and logged into the computer, giving the programs the most authentic movements possible. Still, mocap is nothing but a tool if there isn’t great actors behind it, and Nolan North, the voice over and mocap artist behind Nathan Drake, is a testament to the art that goes into creating the compelling Uncharted world. Nolan North, who has been with the project since day one has not only added a depth rarely found in video games to Nathan Drake, but also brought humility and unexpectedness to the character, which is one of the reasons fans (including me) have been so dazzled by the series.

To celebrate the end of a trilogy and to give readers an idea of what it takes to bring Nathan Drake to life, Nolan North has put out a book called Uncharted: Drake’s Journal which is an inside the making of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. In the book, Nolan goes over every chapter from Uncharted 3 and breaks down the scenes and techniques used to bring the entire world to life. Long-time Uncharted fans should get a great kick out of browsing through the book while those who are looking at entering the video game or film industry should read the book from cover to cover as the book truly gives you an idea as where the industry is headed. Film fans should look no further than Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of TinTin.

We’ve put together a video overview from Uncharted: Drake’s Journal, which highlights what you can expect to find from this book.